Death Cult
This Death Cult was Blood Drinkers successor chapter from the 8th founding that was the result of an attempt to quell the Red Thirst. They were conscripted to explore new options to try to cure the Red Thirst and explore options for enduring it. The result was not a success but, in a way, not a failure. After an attempted ambush by chaos failed, members of the chapter no longer fully succumb to the Red Thirst but perpetually lived with a somewhat diminished stage version of it. They were permanently savage, a constant homicidal nagging always bothering them, though they could still hear the call of the Emperor and were able stop themselves from committing the worst of atrocities in the heat of battle (though committing many smaller ones). The Death Cult was destroyed during the Cursed Saint Crusade but their legend lives on in the halls of the Blood Angels and their successors. Gene Seed & Flaws The Death Cult was descended, via the Blood Drinkers, for Sanguinius. They possessed both the Black Rage and Red Thirst as well as the mutated Omophagea organ of the Blood Drinkers which compelled them to drink blood. After the Nightwing Incident they were in a state of perpetual near-blood lust (ala the Red Thirst) but this seems to be an equalized state; they never progress further. No fewer members succumb to the Black Rage eventually, but they seem more lucid before they do. The Nightwing Incident Tracking down a cure for the Red Thirst had always been one of the goals of the Death Cult. When they were lured into a complex trap by the Nightwing warband (a splinter group of the Night Lords) who had used a potential cure as bait. The evidence of the cure was so compelling that 9 chapters, all but the scout company, eventually descended on the planet that held the cure. This world, Iridos 2, was infested by orks and was cleared out by the chapter. This was all a ploy by the Nightwings, once and one the Death Cult chapter was fully committed to combat with the ork horde they triggered a number of accursed bio-machines that plagued the planet with a bio-toxin that brought about extreme rage, a dangerous spike an adrenaline, and death due to exhaustion. This was so potent (said to be a gift from Nurgle himself) that it not only affected the orks but the marines as well. Once infected with a rage-inducing agent the Death Cult turned on itself and tore itself to shreds. Of the nine companies that had made planetfall four were fully destroyed by their own brothers. Those that survived found themselves more stable; locked in a perpetual state of near-rage. They felt the homicidal call but it was a slower feeling; the rage-inducing poison had “broken” something in them mentally. The remaining 5 companies, now at least somewhat in control of themselves, slew the orks and went on to eliminate a large number of the Nightwing (who would flee and later take part in the 13th Black Crusade). After this incident, they would never again rebuild themselves to full strength; those four companies of marines remained empty (companies 2, 3, 6, and 8). Homeworld & Recruitment The chapter largely drew its recruits from an extremist death cult who worshiped the Imperial Cult from the Hive World of Nizdar Prime. They were as brutal as they were fanatical and kept the rest of their Hive World in line through fear and death. Their brand of bloody, silent, justice and religious zeal was just was the Imperium needed for space marine stock. The cult worshiped "The Blood of the Emperor" and believed that, somehow, all humans share a common ancestor with the God Emperor and believed that all those who serve him can aspire to be like him. They worshiped Space Marines as they had the literal genetic material of the Emperor as a sort of "divine vehicle" for their prayers. Being selected was like ascending to become an angel, receiving the blood of the Emperor though his son Sanguinius. After the establishment of the chapter the Blood of the Emperor death cult became the chapter cult, though it more directly revered the emperor's bloodline connection to themselves. Notable Campaigns Please note that, while a number of minor campaigns occurred prior to the Nightwing Incident the ones described in this section occurred after it. Bronze God Incident: During this incident a planetary governor had erected machines in the form of astartes who were turned loose on their people when Chaos began to taint his mind. The result was a systematic depopulation of the planet with few survivors. Fountain of Blood: The Death Cult did battle with the Eightscarred warband of Khorne over the red moon of Guyon XI. It is said that the Eightscarred had erected a literal geyser of blood that was raining it down upon the surface of the small colony and converting people into deamons. When the Death Cult arrived they fought a vicious hand to hand war and left the colony dead and the Eightscarred warband licking their wounds. Emperor’s Trap: A priest of the Imperial Truth turned from the light and convinced her loyal followers that the Emperor was locked on Holy Terra and trying to get out. She said she had a vision that he was trapped by the so-called hero “Sanguinius”. The Death Cult took exception to this particular heresy and dedicated 3 full companies to the eradication of this misguided horde of heretics. During this affair they worked cooperatively (though not together) with the Black Orthodoxy. The result was a systematic depopulation of the planet with few survivors. The Hellhouse Crusade: A small crusade that involved a number of Blood Angel successor chapters occurred with the goal of destroying a fleet of possessed battleships en route to Evernight. The Death Cult did not serve with distinction but completed their mission. They were noted to have got into a fight that resulted in the death of six battle brothers (though which chapter the marines were in was not listed). Fortitude’s Rest: A space hulk by the name of Fortitude’s Rest was cleared out by the Death Cult but they are reported to have lost half a company to the action. At this point it is said that only 3 companies (2 and a scout company) remained of the Death Cult. Imperium Secundus Redux: A single system claimed to be the legitimate Imperium Secundus and that the unremembered empire had been usurped by illegitimate means. It ceased paying its tithes and demanded tribute, using its large military forke, against its neighbors. The Death Cult, Absolvers, Emperor’s Servants, and Dictators chapters were called in to quell the insurrection. It is said that, once the self styled “Imperator Regis” the Death Cult attempted to systematically depopulate the planet for its heresy. The Emperor’s Servants took exception to this, believing it to be righteous to spare the unwilling, and a battle between the two chapters ensued. The result was a bloody battle that was only stopped by an Inquisitorial mandate from Inquisitor Jacob Herschel. The Baran Skirmishes: A chance encounter with an Eldar corsair fleet saw the Death Cult cross blades with them in a series of boarding actions. The Death Cult is said to have inflicted heavy casualties but lost a Captain to a duel with someone resembling the fabled Bythos Sige. The date for this action is in dispute but one date puts it prior to the Nightwing Incident but it is probably that it took place just before the The Baran War. Cursed Saint Crusade: A false Sanguinius, a genetic clone of him conjured to life by chaos, known as “The Cursed Saint” began to gain power and status among the accursed beings in the Eye of Terror. Several Khorne-worshiping traitor legions of (supposed) Blood Angel descent joined in the service of this false god. So incensed by this was the Death Cult that it launched a crusade into the Eye of Terror to destroy it. They had but 3 companies, 2 battle companies and a scout company, but it is said that they fought like a full 10. Some accounts even claim the brethren who fell rose from the dead and fought once again. Other accounts say that the Sanguinor appears and aided the chapter in its final struggle. The fine battle was fought on a world known as Nocturis IV and the Lord Commander of the Death Cult, a former chaplain named Fierro Devonshade, is said to have dueled the false Sanguinius and slew him. In the end only a dozen marines of the Death Cult emerged from Nocturis IV and brought with them the head of the Cursed Saint. Demise Sometime prior to the Indomitus Crusade the Death Cult was recorded as being disbanded. While the records do not recount it, it is said the remaining members joined the Deathwatch or the Nevonian Free Company and that some of their remaining dozen or so marines still serve in those organizations. Armor Colors The armor of the Death Cult marines were a dark purple with gold accents and red shoulder pads. Their armor was changed from crimson with vibrant blue accents to its later form after the Nightwing Incident. This was thought by some to be because the dark purple was “close to black”, like the death company but the shoulders were kept red with gold accents to indicate their lineage. Death Companies Members of the Death Companies were filled almost entirely with those surcame to the Black Rage as assigning all members who showed signs of the Red Thirst would have seen about 80% of the chapter in Death Companies. Sanguinary Guard The only Sanguinary Guard were from the scout company that was not involved in the The Nightwing Incident as none other were free of the Red Thirst. Because of this there was only ever a single squad’s worth of Sanguinary Guard within the Death Cult and after Fortitude’s Rest they were reportedly without a compliment of Sanguinary Guards. Dreadnoughts It is noted that the Death Cult used many dreadnoughts and a large number, as many as 50 (this number is almost assuredly exaggerated for effect) of their marines fought in them during the Cursed Saint Crusade. All dreadnoughts employed by the company were dressed in Death Company colors. Sanguinary Priests The Sanguinary Priests of the chapter of the chapter took on their normal ceremonial role but had little to do in terms of monitoring the Red Thirst. A Sanguinary Priest by the name of Normis Dractus was the one who fell so willingly for the trap laid by the Nightwings. Notable Death Cult Marines Normis Dractus: A Sanguinary Priest whose zeal lead his battle brothers to their cursed fate in the Nightwing Incident. He was captured by the Nightwing warband and later surcame to chaos. He was taken to the Eye of Terror where he gave into the Black Rage and Red Thirst. His genetic material, possessing a blood chalice and blood from the red grail, was used to make the Cursed Saint that would eventually lead to the last suicidal action of the chapter. Fierro Devonshade: The final Lord Commander of the Death Cult. He was a former chaplain of the chapter whose great zeal is recounted in the epic poem, “Fierro’s Fire”. It is said that, during the final fight against the Cursed Saint his very body burned with a fire that did not harm him but consumed his enemies. Sgt. Lysander Truss: The chapter’s last champion, promoted when the previous one fell. It is said that in his final fight he was given “The Godhammer”, an ancient and powerful bolter guarded by the “Our Lady of the Bolter” order of the Sisters of Battle that is said to teleport to the hands of those who fight in the name of the Emperor. Rumors * It is believed that there was a connection between the Death Cult and the Night Lords. One salacious rumor is that the Death Cult was a hybridization of Sanguinius and Konrad Curze’s genetic material. * The Chapter’s name “Death Cult” was not the original name and that their name was changed (along with the records) after the Nightwing Incident to indicate that it was effectively a Death Company chapter. Rumors say their name was the “Dhampiran Cult” or “Dhampires”. * The name "Death Cult" was chosen because the chapter was in league with the Officio Assassinorum who were trying to convert death cult assassins into space marines. This is, at least, partially true as they did recruit from a death cult but no connection to the Officio Assassinorum was ever found. DeathCultTac.png|A Tactical Marine of the Death Cult DeathCultAssault.png|An Tactical Sgt from the 1st Company of the Death Cult DeathCultCapt.png|Chapter Champion of the Death Cult (Original Art by Inkary & Skirill) DeathCultTac2.png|A Battle Brother of the Death Cult Category:Blood Angels Successors